Analysis of the shelf life and transfusion life of whole blood and erythrocyte concentrates

: The shelf life of 60,000 units of whole blood and red cell concentrates in the blood center were analysed before delivering to hospitals as well as the transfusion age of 18,000 units in relation to the stock-size and the outdated units. The mean transfusion age of whole blood units and red blood cell concentrates amounted to 11 to 12 days and 16 to 17 days, respectively. The shelf life of blood transfused within 24 hours after collection was 1.6% and 3.8% transfused within 48 hours according to the total number of whole blood and red blood cell concentrates. Washed red cell concentrates were prepared from buffy coat-free resuspended red cell concentrates on an average at the 7th day of storage. A high stock-size of about 1,000 units rather than of 600 units in the blood center increased the shelf life and also the number of outdated units from less than 0.5% up to more than 3%.